Sauber Formula 1 title partner Stake has been ordered to shut down its UK website by the government’s gambling commission.
Stake, which entered a title partnership with Sauber last year, has come under fire from the UK gambling commission after a video on X (formerly Twitter) featuring a pornographic actress was presented with the company’s logo.
The commission has ordered Stake.uk.com to close next month and its operator TGP Europe Limited has come under fire from UK authorities before, having been fined £316,250 in 2023.
That charge resulted from failing to promote responsible gambling and prevent money laundering.
“The move follows the launch of a commission investigation into a widely viewed video displaying the Stake-branded logo, which was distributed on a social media platform and featured an adult actress outside Nottingham Trent University,” said the commission in a statement.
“TGP has previously been the subject of enforcement action and after a meeting with the commission have stated they will immediately stop accepting new registrations to the Stake.uk.com platform and remove redirection links from the main Stake website.
“Final shutdown of the Great Britain site will take place by 11 March 2025.”
Premier League football club Everton, which features Stake as a shirt sponsor, will be approached by the commission regarding “the risks of promoting unlawful gambling websites.”
How will Stake’s punishment affect Sauber?
How this will affect Sauber is unknown, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see the outfit remove the Stake logo from its cars during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this July, a practice that has been adhered to on several occasions.
Due to gambling restrictions in several countries, Sauber switched out the Stake logo for streaming subsidiary Kick at the Australian, Spanish, Belgian, Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix.
It remains to be seen whether this has an impact on Sauber’s proposed development of a UK-based engineering hub.
Regardless, with Audi gearing up for its 2026 F1 debut amid its Sauber takeover, the Stake partnership is unlikely to carry over beyond this season.
The Audi takeover of Sauber comprises a large minority stake from the Qatar Investment Authority and a Qatari brand could very well find a prominent space on the German marque’s first F1 cars in 2026.
As a result, Audi will be able to distance itself from further Stake-based controversies.
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